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Imagine receiving a birthday gift from a deceased friend or relative. Not something bequeathed in a will or left in the care of a living acquaintance until the appropriate time, but rather a current gift, recently bought.
It sounds like the premise of a supernatural movie, but it’s actually an emerging trend in the world of commerce. Dubbed “post-death consumerism”, it involves the act of shopping from beyond the grave, facilitated not by hocus-pocus, but technology. And while it sounds decidedly “out there”, consumers are intrigued.
This insight emerged from VML’s annual “Future Shopper Report” for 2024-2025. Researchers surveyed 31,500 shoppers across 20 countries, including South Africa. To qualify respondents had to have shopped online at least once in the preceding month.
In addition to numerous questions about current shopping trends and behaviour, respondents were asked about the future of retail — including whether they would be interested in spending from beyond the grave. Globally, 47% of respondents were keen. But the concept proved even more intriguing for South African respondents, with 51% indicating they would be interested. (The highest interest came from Thailand (74%) and India (70%).)
At first glance, the notion of post-death consumerism may seem purely bizarre. But there’s humanity behind the weirdness.
Consider, for example, a parent who passes away, leaving young children behind. Imagine they could ensure their children would continue to receive a birthday gift from them even after they passed. Something personal and so “them” that they would have chosen it themselves had they been there — bought using their own money and chosen based on data collected about their shopping habits and personality while they were alive.
This idea of bestowing not just a legacy, but a connection to the loved ones you leave behind is an appealing prospect to some.
Of course, all of this is interesting in an abstract, philosophical way, but is it actually feasible? The short answer: yes. Post-death consumerism ties into the broader trend of “grief tech” — a growing field that explores ways to leverage technology like AI to maintain a connection with loved ones who have passed on.
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